Teen abandoned as baby helps senior dogs find forever home

Sometimes in life, it's those who have gone through the most who have the biggest hearts, and this teenager who was abandoned as a baby is the perfect example.

Meena Kumar, 14, is the ultimate believer in the importance of second chances after she was found abandoned in a basket at nine months old and now helps senior dogs to find their forever homes.

After being found abandoned at a college campus in India, she spent a year in an orphanage before she was adopted by a family from San Jose, California.

This dog delivered groceries to neighbors who were self-isolating during the pandemic: 

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In an interview with Today, she said: "My parents tell me the story of when they adopted me at (age) 2 and they brought me to my grandparents' apartment in Mumbai.

"My parents were worried about how to keep me amused in a small place. Thankfully, a dog had laid a litter of puppies, and I used to spend hours every day watching and playing with them."

Meena's passion for animals grew at her new home in California, and she soon developed a penchant for visiting the local Humane Society.

Then, when she was eight years old, her family adopted a mixed-breed dog named Bambie, who Meena taught tricks like the ability to give a hug.

"I just pat on my shoulder and she'll come and actually like put her paws up and just stay there so I can hug her and stuff," she said.

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Things changed for Meena when she met Dr. Kathy Stecco, a neighbor, while walking Bambie. She was walking her own dog George, and Meena learned that she fostered older dogs through Muttville Senior Dog Rescue, a San Fransisco nonprofit that helps older dogs specifically.

Meena instantly wanted to know more, and when she visited the rescue, she developed a passion for older dogs.

"I love visiting Muttville," she said. "The dogs may be senior and old, but they're so friendly and cute, which is why I want to help them. They're the most gentle and loyal creatures."

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When Meena's parents told her that she couldn't adopt any more dogs, she then came up with an innovative way to help them: she set up a pet-sitting business called Pet Fairy Service and donates her earnings to the charity.

Meena has already raised $7,000 through her work - an amount matched by her father's company, Intel.

"It feels great to know that I've saved many dogs' lives and given them another chance to enjoy life for their last years of living," she said. "I feel like all dogs should get a forever home just like I did."